Battery warning light - How to deal with it

Charging warning light in instrument cluster on, steps to take to repair

[@rockbay79]

Master Mechanic for sure!!!!!! Peter always overcomes the technical problem on Toyotas!!!!! Great Job!!!

[@johnmaurer7084]

We are so lucky to have a wealth of knowledge with our Toyota vehicles utilizing this man. His demeanor makes us all look like fools when we’re working on our cars. Got a love a fellow like that

[@Pinoyphilly]

You are very thorough and you know your craft! Step by step you go through the checking protocols: that's the mark of a real profrssional. Be safe God bless you and keep you well so you can serve more and better your customers.

[@Tommerd]

Peter! I actually crossed my fingers when you asked!!!! It worked!!!!

[@drivefortright9662]

Measure twice cut once Peter: measure dozen times cut once 😁 You are approach to diagnosis is so systematic 👍

[@rlenoxIII]

Thank you for taking the time you spend making these videos. My 8 & 10 year old sons really enjoy watching them together.

[@michaelbrennan7148]

Hi Peter. Thank you for posting. Great explanation all around. You are da man Peter!

[@ecliqxse9591]

This guy is a great story teller

[@marcoslugo5542]

U are a really good mechanic I like ur work thanks for the videos👍

[@ak-aire67b33]

Great mechanic and good explanations.

[@miket727]

I WISH I lived near him. He deserves every penny. So hard NOT to get ripped off. Oh, I have the same engine. Hope my alternator lasts this long.

[@johnreid2837]

Ok you convinced me, I’m going to buy those wrench’s .

[@scottjohnson5449]

THANKS MY FRIEND!!!! told my neighbor behind me about you, he has a toyo that has a v-8 in it. told him to look you up and that he can learn more bout his toyo!!!! as all ways...... HAVE A GOOD DAY MY FRIEND!!!! CANT RECALL WERE I HEARD THAT FROM?????? HMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!

[@JM-gz1ej]

Excellent diag work and fixes.

[@billneu9520]

Thanks, Peter for your knowledge and videos Bill N NY

[@rightlanehog3151]

172,317 miles, THANK YOU Peter! This is critical information in objectively assessing the durability of the vehicle and its components. Can you imagine the shock and horror if a Toyota/Denso alternator failed at 72,000 miles the way some other brands routinely do? ;-)

[@thinshavings]

Our 2010 Corolla alternator failed at 91,500

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@thinshavings Sorry to hear that.

[@zumik83]

I only replaced the brushes preventively on my Bosch alternator as they were at their limit (under 3 mm) and it has 420.000 km and still going strong. Nowadays people just replace the entire part, so unfair.

[@LAactor]

@@zumik83 I agree with this. However in a case where removal is difficult. My V6 has two shop hours vs one normally, it would be less time and frustration in case the diodes of the rectifier or regulator go bad in a year and you'd have to pay again for the services. But since you DIY, no skin off your back. I'd prefer to save the $150 more or less and just pay the $10 or so on a brush..

[@LAactor]

@@thinshavings I have a theory, was it made in the Northern California plant at Fremont? Another famous car manufacturer used the plant before Toyota. Your VIN should have a 1 instead of a J at the beginning. This would be the reason. Keep an eye on it and if the car starts to or becomes high maintenance, fix it, drive it for a few months and sell it. Get one made in Japan if possible. Or research that vehicle thoroughly with consumer complaints online. Maybe even starting with NHSTA or similar gov organizations here in the US.

[@ccadama]

@Toyota Maintenance. Great job Peter on diagnosing and repairing the bad charging system on that RAV 4. Is there a reason why you didn't use a charging system tester that tests the battery, cranking, and charging systems? Hope you and your family stay safe and well.

[@LAactor]

Hello there St. Pete! You look cold. Hope you are keeping warm. I just repaired this part few weeks ago, wish I had your video! You would be more frustrated because my engine is the 2GR-FE and there is less space. Although the shop I believe ripped me off by saying AC line must be discharged, and they did that, plus $20 freon. $200 for denso part although it is $135 online. They removed radiator support. I knew about the clutch pulley however. And also popped the cap off on the end to see how bad the clutch pulley dust is. Sometimes the clutch pulley is the thing that goes bad. Just $50 for the part plus labor. If I were closer I would go to you too. But you are far. Be ready in the future to convert your addresses to PO BOX because like for other KZbin mechanics, they have more people watching more bother them. Like Eric O. of South Main Auto. People call him too much and he needed to buy some new phone system that takes their message before it comes to the shop phone. But he might not be as good a person in real life as you are, and it may not bother you as much. My advice is. Keep it professional. I don't like when he complains about them.

[@johnmehaffey9953]

I’ve had quite a few alternator failures and as soon as petr spoke I said alternator trouble, the alternator trouble was not on a Toyota but on a GM , luckily because i was driving a GM I made sure that I’d proper breakdown insurance and could be taken to anywhere I asked

[@johngallagher909]

Interesting video, thanks 👍

[@GA-tl4iy]

Thank you very much Bro, well done

[@dannysautorepair]

Great video sir. Thank you

[@lordcromwell5512]

Oh you are in Arcadia. Nice. I hope one day to visit.

[@markreynolds3850]

Thanks for sharing this information.

[@kegcoffeetable]

Helpful information Thank you.!

[@donaldlee6760]

I bought a 2012 Honda Odyssey last year but only because I could not find a good used Toyota Sienna near my home in Oakland / Berkeley, CA. Oddly, there were lots of Toyota Sienna's for sale in the south bay area, around San Jose and Mountain View area. Just a warning. I purchased off craigslist and noticed many private sales were really "curbstoners", where are people that buy cars professionally (from dealer only auctions?) and sell cars as if they were the original owners. You can easily tell because they black out the license plate. So far I'm happy with my Odyssey but still long for a Sienna since it does not have a timing belt.

[@LAactor]

A lot of people block out the license plate so they can't just go to their house and steal or damage the car. BUT YOU ARE CORRECT there are a lot of car flippers out there. Some on youtube as well. Some are good like the KZbin guy, some are bad. Fraudulent techniques. Some just overprice the hell out of the market and buy the car low so normal non amateur people don't get a chance. If they say you have to meet them in a parking lot, it could be another kind of fraud, stolen vehicle or worse. People make fake titles now too. If they aren't willing to go with you to the dmv to get the title transferred or give them their driver's license or any other suspicious stuff, go with your gut and walk.

[@deafbridge07]

Love that accent! Reminds me of Peter seller. Great job 👍

[@petarrakovic9359]

I like checking fuses with a test light. (Power on both tips good, power on one tip bad fuse, and no light on either the circuit is most likely not energized because the car has to be in accessories mode or key on).

[@stbob5985]

Thank your video to help me to repair my car some problem.

[@mscir]

My neighbor had a Honda Pilot that had the battery keep dying sometimes overnight sometimes in 2 or 3 days. He bought 3 batteries in a row... so I had him start pulling several fuses at a time then letting it sit overnight... so doing trial and error... Then he got impatient with that process and took it to a shop that used the same technique. Found it was a bad GPS, so he just pulled the fuse and solved the problem the cheap way (lots of kids, no extra money). Electrical problems can be challenging. LOL, annoying, pesky, I like when you add a bit of emotion.

[@flat4forlife588]

Great video!!!

[@7777LORENZO]

Wish you were close as I need good mechanic . Everyone can’t be trusted . Even had things stolen from my vehicle

[@azerool8288]

Possibly the brushes/regulator are just worn, replaced mine on original alternator on a 2000 Camry LE 2.2, took 5 mins to do. Didn't even need to take out the alternator from the engine.

[@mdotguy]

Most of the time it is just brushes. Super cheap to buy and easy to replace.

[@pepeshopping]

Electronics, including the car's ECM, rarely EVER get damaged by low voltage as they do have built-in protections and what really damages them are high voltage spikes. As a PRO, I would always use a Memory Saver when unplugging the battery, as some cars really don't like to loose their recorded/learned parameters, but even simpler, some radios/entertainment systems would go into security mode after loosing power and would require a code, that the owner usually does not have, in order to function normally again.

[@LAactor]

Is that a 9V thing connected to the cig lighter adapter? Or what one do you use?

[@stbob5985]

@@LAactor connect a 12V car battery to keep power up.

[@rstuff1605]

Had my battery light flash one time as my fuel line or filter was dirry enough to restrict fuel delivery. How is the performance of the 2ar-fe. After the 3rd go it ups the power to 210 hp from 179

[@ulkesh78]

172k miles is pretty dang good for a stock alternator!

[@enorbz]

I got 260k miles on my Original alternator in my 2005 Ford ranger! Pretty amazing

[@paulparoma]

I would say it's about average.

[@LAactor]

@@paulparoma Maybe average for Toyotas. They make good quality. At least until recently when they were beginning to be assembled in the Americas. Corollas in the West had problems as other models in the south. A user below, "T," had his die at 90. Mechanics nowadays say American made lasts only 60. Somewhere in there is average for the US. @Mr Bojangles78 mine lasted 155. Assuming it was stock. Looked similar and was OEM Denso. @konamtber91 That's amazing! Those rangers are fleet workhorses, they are super reliable and go high miles and never die. Auto parts delivery loves using them to go around.

[@CP-pb3pj]

@@enorbz That’s a quality Alternator! I have a Lexus ES300 with 230,000 Original Alternator.

[@charlesbarkwell7693]

That's ONLY because the Component is from the Dealership Parts Department. An Auto Zone , O'Reilly , Pep Boys Alternator will not last that long , that's why their Parts say , "Lifetime Warranty". Some Dealership Parts Department Alternators last longer than what he's working with , but those Dealership "OE" Original Equipment Alternators , Starters and Catalytic Converters will Cost you 2 or 3 Kids. Ex GM Dealership Technician. Southern California

[@robertdelreal7204]

I have a 2017 camry xse 4 cylinder. Just put in a brand new oem alternator and battery but the battery light comes on with the key in the on position. But once the car is running it turns off. What do you think? The car runs great. Should I reset it?

[@jimpie231]

Just out of curiosity, new alternator or rebuilt? Sourced from where? Thanks....Jim PS.....I assume Denso.

[@berryreading4809]

Aviation wrench would've been perfect about an hour ago on a 2017 Tacoma alternator terminal! I'm chasing down a mysterious battery draining issue 🙁 hoping the voltage regulator might be bad and pulling power while parked, one by one I guess

[@incub8]

I wish Peter and his shop were close to me.

[@abenyamini1]

We all do.

[@gerardclement3095]

Hi Peter, thanks for the very good video. I have a 2008 Rav4 (4 cyl) and last summer the air conditioning stopped working. I didn't found any relay in the fuse box. Are you planning to do a video on the troubleshooting of this system. Many thanks.

[@user_namehere]

Does your blower work? Or does the air just not get cold?

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

I have a 09 Vibe GT at 210k with the 2AZ-FE engine. Alternator went out and took out several minor things, turn signal, blower fan etc but most importantly it won't charge anymore after replacing the alternator. As far as I can tell the alternator fuse is in the "box" fuse which I replaced but still nothing. I have asked everyone and no one knows what to try next. Battery also replaced as I am in Phoenix and needed done anyhow.

[@Sakrich]

The "original" alt had red Denso label, which means its "remanufactored". So its Denso, but not the original. Originals are labeled with Blue labels. If u google that part number it'l prob show it.

[@LAactor]

Thank you so much for this information! Mine must be original! I took a picture and thought it was black and can see now it is a very faded dark blue!! Two numbers 27060-31091 and 014210-2080 stacked and under the word Denso: 31080.

[@jamesmartin1895]

very valuable info, ty sir - don’t go cheap on main components, stick with Denso

[@stephensgate1]

I just bought a 2005 Lexus RX330 with 53,000 miles. The elderly lady had the oil changed regularly, but that’s about it. First thing I did was replaced all the fluids, including the rear differential and front transfer case. Is there anything else I should do?? This vehicle looks and still smells new. I feel very fortunate to have found such a comfortable and well built vehicle. Any advice? -Stephen, Ohio

[@LAactor]

All the fluids? That means trans? How was it? Check for damage in case it was repaired poorly. Someone sold me one they crashed and said they just hit the garage. Yeah right more like into the side of a parking garage or some shet.. Insane that vintage with those miles. Very very lucky. Grab the wheels at the top and bottom and wiggle and see if loose. Do same at sides. Check in case she hit curbs or anything. Tie rod ends ball joints bushings in control arms can deteriorate in 15 years depending on weather and road. Check to see if anything has been repainted and use a magnet around the vehicle to check for Bondo. Look at the body gap lines to see that's it's all equal. Doors and hood and hatch close as normal. no restricted movements or rubbing. See if dead husband parts in wheel well.

[@Fractal_CZ]

To je proste parada :)

[@walter3324]

2008 Mazda RX 8 battery warning light come on when engine is cold and goes away with hard acceleration and goes away when engine gets to normal operating temp.when I do a alternator test check when battery light is on it sows a volt reading of 14.25 and the same reading when battery light is of... No clue on what is going on maybe you Peter can help this old Alsatian!! Thanks

[@rcthomas6925]

Thank you...

[@nanjinavroz4446]

Hi Peter. You should also do some videos on Subaru since you have a big Subaru sticker on the wall

[@michaeltemple895]

Thanks!

[@johnaclark1]

In the old days that was the "alt" light. I don't know why they had to change it to a battery light. I have had numerous people call me for repair and they tell me the battery light is on, even after they put a new battery in it. I guess a lot more batteries are sold this way.

[@imranabbasi7871]

Good luck 👍

[@arneldobumatay3702]

I could see when trying to remove the alternator, he was getter redder by the second. 😉 I know the feeling!

[@pepeshopping]

There is no such thing as a "deep cycle charge", or charger. There are deep cycle batteries, which are just like regular wet or sealed batteries, but made with thicker plates so they can take being discharged deeper. A good charger would have several stages of charging and would limit the maximum charging voltage depending on the type of battery (wet/flooded, sealed, agm, gel, in that order), first bulk for the most ampers into the battery, then a topping stage where the amperage goes low and the voltage goes higher (14-15.5 volts), and then a float stage where the voltage goes to 13.2 volts and 500 milliamps where you can leave it for storage. Also, engineer s are rarely stupid or dumb. They put things where they do for either packaging or cost, but so many people simply don't understand just how difficult is to make a complicated product, like a car.

[@LAactor]

@@pepeshopping you should have made your own comment instead of picking the most upvoted comment at the time to post this! We all understood his meaning of engineers being dumb. Maybe you are an engineer so you take offense, but the mechanic means it is a bad place for the mechanic to access for service. If you have this car you know it. As for when he speaks about deep cycle charging, we knew he means extended overnight trickle charging which is better for the battery, as opposed to quick charging. He just didn't know the word, which is a detail that is unnecessary if you understand in general what he means.

[@nobodyschild967]

Did everything as you did....Battery indicator light os still on. Grounds all clean...

[@jamesmartin1895]

Peter: “I learned from the past...” (Confusious: Experience is still the greatest teacher) Sir, I do have a question - did the customer, probably kept running the car with a weakened battery that cause the damage to the alternator? My sis has a 2010 Scion XB with the original alternator with 226K+, we change the battery every 4 years even if it’s charging good...

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

@ 4:48 be careful! If you come to an always HOT fuse that is blown, you'll blow the fuse in your meter, or burn it out!

[@zueszues3178]

Toyota sequioa battery light turna on alternator is good belt is good what could be the problem

[@jorgebarrera248]

can you do video on testing fusible link?

[@cawschwarzraben359]

That little fuse box under the steering wheel really is a #$#@ pain to deal with, especially for rotund people like me.

[@mobilecommunicationsnetwor5268]

What would the maxium voltage allowed for the ECM? You mentioned 8 volts was too low. is there any mechanism in the ECM to protect itself and shut off?

[@FixIt1975]

Cars usually run between 13.5 and 15 volts while running. No, there's nothing to shut them off. Usually low voltage doesn't harm pcms but a backwards jump will almost always ruin them

[@chocolate_squiggle]

@@FixIt1975 What's a backwards jump?

[@LAactor]

@@chocolate_squiggle When you put the negative on a positive and positive on a negative. But I always put positive on positive and negative on body ground or engine hook to prevent this. It is a majot catastrophic nightmare and not only will you burn fuses from shorting the system, you will invite gremlins into the entire electrical system so anything electrical is sus at that point. Alternator included as well as ECM.

[@jayyoung5423]

Peter, why wouldn't you check the output voltage and current before wasting time on fuses,?

[@bwest-yq3uc]

Sure could use some light there so the viewer could see what you are looking at or working on.

[@nattywill764]

I must say you a different wish you were my mechanic, could you show how to service the rav 2007 when the mentainance light comes on

[@motologist1917]

brother i have ford fiesta mk6 1.4 tdci my problem is that whenever i start the car battery warning light comes on the dash but if i fully press the throttle all the way to 5k rpm it starts charging and light goes offf , plz help me to solve this issue . this problem started while i was driving home

[@artgk4015]

My 03 Corolla have a dim battery light on after replacing alternator

[@7777LORENZO]

Ok Now move to Winnipeg as I need you here a trustworthy specialist like you .... patsy

[@neilmurphy845]

What breaks inside the ECU if the battery drops to low and what is the purpose of a clutch alternator

[@LAactor]

You can fry circuits and capacitors and other resistors and diodes because it's a computer box with a motherboard inside after all. There is no such thing as a clutch alternator but I know what you meant. However never say that term because other mechanics will know you don't know what it is and may take advantage of you like that have with me several times unsuccessfully and maybe once or twice successfully. There are alternators with clutch pulleys and alternators without. It's a generally newer application used so the serp belt does not chatter or jump when the engine downshifts or slows it's RPMs. Imagine a bicycle with a freewheel drivetrain. Similar concept. The pulley can freewheel itself when the car slows so your parts last longer. Belts, pulleys, any wear items. Auto tensioners, etc. If he had taken off the dust cap it would have made more sense, that pulley is also removable. If failed, and it freewheels both ways, the alternator doesn't spin and generate charge with the same symptoms. It can also lock up and then you shred your belt off. But most of the time this isn't rare but not uncommon either and the easy solve is to replace the whole unit. You save only like $50-$100 if you're right. If you're wrong and that's not the defective part and say a rectifier, regulator, or whatever else inside has failed, like worn brushes, now you added on to the cost.

[@ega0117]

How much did it cost for repair?

[@timothybooher8106]

I have a 2000 rav 4 and the battery light stays on , battery and alternator are both good and checked all grounds and clean connections, reset the ECM and still stays on? Need some help please. Thanks, Timothy

[@robertpiela5444]

Hey did you ever figure this out? I’m having the exact issue with my Highlander. I read somewhere that the cables from the alternator could be corroded.

[@timothybooher8106]

@@robertpiela5444 no haven't solved the problem yet, the cables all look good to corrosion that I can see? Not very easy or cheep to replace wiring harness, there has to be something else somewhere ?? I haven't read anywhere where this problem has been solved, If you find something let me know, Thanks Timothy

[@robertpiela5444]

@@timothybooher8106 Hey so I was able to sort my problem out after exhausting basically every other option. Checked the fuses and all cabling for shorts/corrosion and nothing came up. Re-seated all alternator connectors, everything was grounded and power was going to the alternator. Tested the battery and alternator at AutoZone with their charging system device and both battery and alternator came back good. Cleaned battery terminals and took the battery out, had it independently tested/deep cycle charged came back OK. Finally just took a gamble and swapped out the alternator which solved the issue. Just my two cents and your mileage may vary. My takeaway is I guess to not fully trust charging system testers when they say your alternator is ok. Goodluck hope you figure it out cause this one was pretty vague.

[@sakhileinnocent7715]

Morning Sir,my Toyota Camry is not displaying a battery warning light and can't start

[@jmanuellleon2294]

I just replaced the alternator on my RAV4 it's charging 13.6 V but the light still on.😔

[@oreally8605]

Do I need to warm up my 2009 scion xb? When its cold?

[@sirsweetness8332]

No newer cars have sensors and will regulate coolant and thermostat and fuel trims. If really cold. 20 F and below maybe 3-4 minutes. Get oil warm flowing before putting it under load.

[@bradleycross5987]

I normally wait about 1 minute for my cars (over 10 years old) but its not strictly necessary. And yes ideally dont use high rev's until the vehicle has warmed up; say 10min. Its all about increasing the lifespan of your vehicle. Its likely good to rev the vehicle high every now and then (once warm).

[@oreally8605]

@@bradleycross5987 Thanks!

[@LAactor]

@@sirsweetness8332 I agree with this person's comment, Sheldon! To add, if you are in these areas, there are oil pan heaters as well as engine block heaters for those in Canada extremes. You will see a plug sticking out of their grill. As you know your Tc is a sport Toyo, so you don't have to, but if you want it to last, baby it. More in the next reply.

[@LAactor]

@@bradleycross5987 I agree with this comment too, Sheldon! It's good to get the transmission oil warmed up as well. But a minute is good. Some will even say 30 seconds. But here's the thing. Better to be nice to your car and it will do the same in return. Go easy on it for the first mile or two in the morning or after it's been sitting for hours where the engine block is stone cold. After it's warmed up (books sometimes say once it's in closed loop), now and then an italian tune up is good for the car to blast out carbon buildup. Which is what I think Brad is referencing. An extended road trip where the car is running at a good speed, here and there with high RPMs on a long road trip, couple hours doing that and the car will perform better when you get back in town.

[@acruzz6455]

I have a tundra and I change the belt, alternator, and pulley and still the problem

[@acruzz6455]

But I don’t check the fuses jet

[@AndroidProUser]

Wish this guy was in driving range at least. I’m in Alabama.

[@neilmurphy845]

Why are new cars engine bays so packed up with wiring harness and outher crap

[@donnierobertson3088]

Ok

[@JohnSmith-ok9sn]

So, you decided that the alternator was the problem just by checking the fuses?! Without even electrically testing the alternator? Very intelligent!!! 😂

[@ecliqxse9591]

90% of the time when that battery turns on usually the alternator is bad.

[@paulparoma]

Don't you just love the way these engine bays are packed nowadays, making a very simple job difficult?

[@AndroidProUser]

Never get rebuilt alternators. Just buy a new OEM or new after market. Not rebuilt. You’ll be replacing soon if you get one rebuilt. Guaranteed.

[@vide0sgal0re2011]

i got a rebuilt ..lasted me 10 years guess i was lucky 😏

[@meking115]

We don't know how long it took bcuz u didn't film it, y not set the camera up on a tripod and show people the whole video? He said he was gonna let the video roll, but he didn't?

[@chocolate_squiggle]

He''s working on his own and he has deadlines to meet. You won't see much if he sets it up on a tripod and leaves it in one position. And try to imagine stopping to reposition a camera every single time you need to move your head to see a different bolt or a different connector you're working on. It probably takes 5-10 times as long to get anything done that way.

[@LAactor]

@@chocolate_squiggle You are right sort of. Eric O of South Main says it takes about 2-3 times as long to do it However he could do something where he films an overhead shot. But time is time.

[@jptrainor]

How does low voltage damage an ECU?

[@jibaritomx]

Low voltage definitely not good, too much is also bad.... I have seen failing battery can cause misfire...

[@jptrainor]

@@jibaritomx I can see too high causing damage. I just don't under how low voltage can cause damage. It can cause the ECU to shut down, perhaps become flaky. I just don't understand the damage mechanism.

[@pepeshopping]

It DOESN'T! I have yet to see any electronics damaged by low voltage. Low voltage would cause things to malfunction, like misfires from bad spark, but will not damage electronics (the more sensitive the electronics, the more protections they have). High voltage is what damages electronics for sure.

[@steveo782812]

I wonder if he meant fuses. He said ECMs like plural but he did check every fuse. I guess low voltage would require higher amperage so that could burn a fuse. Either way I agree never heard of low voltage ruining a computer.

[@N1WP]

The Toyota-Lexus Alternators leave something to be desired as they don't last more than 125000 to 150000 miles.

[@LAactor]

Which alternators last more than 150k miles?? Come to think of it, which American cars last that long now?!

[@N1WP]

@@LAactor my GM Buick LeSabre never had an alternator Problem, but that was back in 1975! That was a real battewagon! GM can't build a car for shit now. But an alternator should go 300000 miles without failure! Fucking hell!

[@steelerbus7]

2005 Monte Carlo 148000 still original alternator

[@amydodson530]

😅😊q

[@msa_0619]

Hey dude. Could get someone who speaks clear English in the USA so that we can understand what you talking about in your video on KZbin ok

[@itschucky12345]

Click away then

[@itschucky12345]

If you can’t understand him you’re slow